Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Setia Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $913 in Setia Alam, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Setia Alam
Learn more

Setia Alam Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Setia Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Setia Alam

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhaka and in Setia Alam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $913 in Setia Alam.

Dhaka $406
Setia Alam $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,358 in Setia Alam.

Dhaka $687
Setia Alam $1,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,803 in Setia Alam.

Dhaka $969
Setia Alam $1,803

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 56% less than in Setia Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Setia Alam 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$4.81 MYR 19.61

-52.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$24.57 MYR 100

-49.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$4.96 MYR 20.22

-20.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳281

$2.76 MYR 11.27

-17.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.79 MYR 3.23

-58.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.32 MYR 17.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 MYR 24.50

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.49 MYR 6.09

-42.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$0.72 MYR 2.92

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.59 MYR 2.42

16.95%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.20 MYR 4.91

2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-36.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$2.41 MYR 9.83

38.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$2.41 MYR 9.83

175.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$1.24 MYR 5.04

129.84%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.83 MYR 7.47

-50.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$1.25 MYR 5.11

87.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-47.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$0.71 MYR 2.89

-66.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$0.74 MYR 3.03

-37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.70 MYR 2.87

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.72 MYR 2.95

-61.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳656

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳794

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ৳405

$4.32 MYR 17.64

-24.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.60 MYR 80.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.59 MYR 14.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MYR 19.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.76 MYR 3.08

-44.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$12.31 MYR 50.2

82.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$1.24 MYR 5.06

-4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$1.20 MYR 4.88

-67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$4.78 MYR 19.49

-31.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$0.48 MYR 1.95

129.17%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$39.2K MYR 159.9K

-24.89%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$33.0K MYR 134.7K

-2.62%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$38.28 ৳4,729

$61.2 MYR 250

-37.42%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.09 ৳506

$8.52 MYR 34.77

-52.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$26.04 MYR 106

-65.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$49.73 MYR 203

-72.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$6.97 MYR 28.44

46.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.10 MYR 20.82

-19.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$135 MYR 551

-32.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$7,885 MYR 32.2K

-67.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$72.7 MYR 296

-76.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$27.31 MYR 111

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$53.8 MYR 220

-4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$36.56 MYR 149

0.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$529 MYR 2,160

-74.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$323 MYR 1,319

-79.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$873 MYR 3,562

-56.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$549 MYR 2,238

-64.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$1,992 MYR 8,128

-18.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$1,102 MYR 4,498

-31.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$1,143 MYR 4,663

-78.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

162.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Setia Alam

$200 21.9% 61.9% $77

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Setia Alam

$323 35.4% 397% $258

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Setia Alam

$125 13.7% 111% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Setia Alam

$86 9.4% 50.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Setia Alam

$96 10.5% 86.3% $44

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Setia Alam

$23 2.5% 17.4% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Setia Alam

$60 6.6% 174% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $529 in Setia Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setia Alam pays 365% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $25.00 in Setia Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $200 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇲🇾 Setia Alam

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

150,000

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Setia Alam 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Setia Alam

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dhaka vs Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 365% lower in Setia Alam. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $529 in Setia Alam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $913 in Setia Alam – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 82% less than in Setia Alam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $406 in Dhaka versus $913 in Setia Alam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dhaka but tight or insufficient in Setia Alam. The gap between the two cities makes Dhaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dhaka and Setia Alam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Setia Alam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.